Playing sousaphone without hurting my shoulder

[Rick Denney]

I played a sousaphone all through school until my last semester of high school. We used Wenger/Conn/King chairs in the band room, without fail. When marching, I always had to hold the instrument up with my left hand, grabbing the circular bow just in front of my left shoulder. I have never been able to rest a sousaphone on my shoulder without stabbing pain, no matter how long I endured it. I stocked groceries during those years--it wasn't because I didn't have any shoulder muscles.

I find my current 14K more comfortable than my recollection of the plastic King that I played in school. Maybe I'm just tougher. Naw.

Rick "thinking some people have favorable shoulder shapes and others don't" Denney